Driving mechanism for paper-making machines.



PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905.

H. S. FERGUSON.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR. PAPER. MAKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1904.

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PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905.

H. s. FERGUSON. DRIVING MECHANISM FOR PAPER MAKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 798,029. PATENTED AUG. 22, 1905 i H. S. FERGUSON.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR PAPER MAKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1904.

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HARDY S. FERGUSON, BANGOR, MAINE.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR PAPER-MAKING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1905.

Application filed July 13, 1904:- Serial No. 216,454.

To all whom, it may concern-.-

Be it known thatI, HARDY S. FERGUSON, of Bangor, in the county ofPenobscot and State of Maine, have invented certain new and use fulImprovements in Driving Mechanism for.

Paper-Making Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to driving mechanism for paper-making machines;and it consists in the novel features of construction and relativearrangement of parts hereinafter fully described in the specification,clearly illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

Figure 1, in side elevation, shows diagrammatically the arrangement ofthe several units comprising a paper-making machine. Fig. 2, in top planview, shows diagrammatically such a machine equipped with my improveddriving mechanism. Fig. 3, in side elevation, shows my improved drivingmechanism applied to the several units of the machine. Fig. 4, in sideelevation, shows one of the driving units shown in Fig. 3, the partsbeing illustrated on a somewhat larger scale. Fig. 5 is a top plan viewof the parts shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig.4, showinga modified arrangement of the belt and pulleys comprising the drivingmechanism. Fig. 7 is a top plan view 'of the parts shown in Fig. 6. Fig.8 is a detail view similar to Fig. 6, showing the common form of drivingunit now in use. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown inFig. 8.

The same figures of reference indicate the same parts in all of thefigures.

The several parts of the paper-making machine are shown in diagram,since they form no part of my present invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 represents the floor supporting the machine, thelatter consisting of the wire mesh 2, the couch 3, the first press 4,second press 5, (sometimes a third press is used,) drier 6, a calender7, the reels 8, the slitter 9, and winder 10. As shown in Fig. 2, eachof these units except the slitter 10 is provided with .an independentdriving-shaft 11, each connected up to the main driving-shaft 12, sothat each of the several units may be driven at a speed which must beadjustable suitable to its work independent of the speed at which themain Shaft or the other unit or units may be driven. I-Ieretofore theseunits have been connected to the main driving-shaft 12 by thearrangement shown in Figs. 8 and 9, wherein 13 represents a conedriving-pulley on the shaft 12. 14 represents a cone driven pulley on acounter-shaft 15, the two pulleys 13 and 14 being connected by a belt 16in the usual Way for the purpose of driving the pulley 14 at differentspeeds. A bevel-gear 17 on the end of the counter-shaft 15 meshes withabevel-gear 18 and shaft 11. Although the infirmities of this form ofdriving mechanism have been well known for a long time, no way has beenprovided prior to my invention for avoiding the use of these bevel-gears17 and 18. Such use prior to myinvention has been considered necessaryin these large papermaking machines in order to maintain the relativespeeds of the various units when they have been properly adjusted toprovide for the stretch or shrinkage of the paper, which occurs atdifferent stages of its progress over the machine. This form ofmechanism causes considerable loss of power, is noisy, the gearsrequiring slushing of grease that is spattered about the room bycentrifugal force unless casings are employed. There is always more orless wear and backlash, causing a jerky action of the units andproducing uneven work, frequent breaks in the continuous sheet of paper,and attendant stops and loss of production. The gears cause muchvibration, which requires an exceedingly massive floor construction towithstand its effects, and the teeth are sometimes stripped by thesudden impact or stress applied to them by the throwing in of theclutch. By my invention these gears are dispensed with and the drivingunit is used that requires less power, less expensive construction offloors, is noiseless in operation and avoids the infirmity of the gears,lessens the cost of'repairs, increases the ef fective running time, andproduces a steady, smooth, and uniform action, which makes a higherspeed of the machine practicable, thus largely increasing its output.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, 20 represents a pulley fast on the end ofthe shaft 11. 21 represents a complemental pulley on the shaft 15,corresponding to the bevel-gears 17 and 18. A belt .22 connects the twopulleys 20 and 21, and as the shafts of the latter are arranged at rightangles to each other I employ idle pulleys 23 24, over which the belt 22passes from the pulley 20 to the pulley 21, thus connecting the twopulleys together and driving one by the other, although the axes of thetwo pulleys are at right angles to each other. In place of the idlepulleys 23 24, as shown'in Fig.4, I may use the idle pulleys 23 24 25,(shown in Fig. 6,) the purpose being in eaclrcase to so deflect the belt22 that it will properly engage the pulleys 2O 21. In place of the belt1 may employ a rope or several ropes or other equivalent device. Theelasticity of the belt avoids the difiiculties noted upon the startingof the machine where gears are employed and provides an efiicient andeconomical means for transmitting motion to the several units of themachine.

While in the claims I make use of the word belt, I do not wish to .beunderstood as thereby limiting my claims or the scope of my invention toa belt. I may and intend to use any equivalent device-such as a rope,&c.andI desire that where the word belt is used in the claim it is to beunderstood to be used in its generic sense and to comprise not only abelt strictly, but also a rope or analogous devices.

Referring to drawings, and particularly to Fig. 7, wherein 'isillustrated my improved mechanism for connecting the speed-varying meanswith its complemental unit by means of pulleys and a belt, it will beseen that the pulleys 2O 21 and also the intermediate pul leyssuch'as 2324, &c.are arranged at such an angle with each other that the positionof the center line of the belt corresponds to the intersection of thecenter planes of the two.

contiguous pulleys between which the belt is passing. By thisarrangement I cannot only transmit power by means of a belt from pulley21 to pulley 20, said pulleys being arranged at right angles to eachother, but I also prevent the belt from running off the pulleys.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, though without attemptto set forth allof the forms in which it is made or all the modes of its use, what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A driving mechanism for paper-making machines, comprisinga maindriving-shaft for supplying power to the several groups of mechanismwhich compose the machine, a sep arate counter-shaft for each group, aspeedvarying counter-shaft for each group countershaft, an independentbelt connecting a member on each speed-varying counter-shaft with acomplemental member on the main drivingshaft, and an independent beltconnecting a member on each speed-varying counter-shaft with acomplemental member on its complemental group counter-shaft.

2. A driving mechanism for paper-making machines, comprising a maindriving-shaft for supplying power to the several groups of mechanismwhich compose the machine, a separate counter-shaft for each group, aspeedvarying counter-shaft for each group countershaft, connectionsbetween each speed-varying counter-shaft and the main shaft, a pulley oneach group counter-shaft, a complemental pulley on each speed-varyingcounter-shaft, said pulleys being arranged at an angle to each other, anintermediate pulley arranged at an angle to each of the saidfirst-mentioned pulleys, and a belt connecting said pulleys, thesurfaces of the said pulleys being so positioned with relation to eachother that the center line of the belt will correspond to theintersections of the center planes of the two contiguous pulleys betweenwhich the belt is passing.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

HARDY S. FERGUSON. l/Vitnesses:

J. V. TowER, F. O. BOWLER.

